The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has tragically risen to 903, with 4,247 people still reported missing, including security personnel and foreigners. India has dispatched an 18-member team of forensic experts to assist with DNA analysis and identification of victims.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor faced significant backlash on social media for describing the Nepal flash floods as "drama." Despite expressing concern and detailing the devastation, his choice of words was widely criticised as insensitive, leading to questions about his vocabulary usage.
Nepal is grappling with a deepening flood crisis as the death toll from devastating flash floods in Rasuwa and surrounding districts has tragically risen to 538, with authorities now warning of a fresh flood threat and initiating evacuations.
The death toll from devastating flash floods in central Nepal has tragically risen to 675, with over 2,400 people still unaccounted for as extensive search and rescue operations continue across eight affected districts.
Residents of Galchhi, Nepal, are grappling with the aftermath of devastating flash floods caused by an ice-rock avalanche, which submerged homes and infrastructure within minutes, leaving many to rebuild their lives.
Nepal is grappling with devastating flash floods and landslides that have claimed over 650 lives and left more than 2,400 missing. Rescue operations are underway, but fresh warnings of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms from the meteorology department threaten to disrupt these efforts, exacerbating the crisis. Chinese authorities have also issued alerts regarding a potential barrier lake breach in Tibet, posing further flood risks downstream.
Nepal has issued a fresh flood warning for areas previously hit by a devastating flash flood, as water levels rise and a dam on the Tibetan side reportedly burst again. Authorities are urging residents and rescue workers to evacuate, with concerns over a newly formed barrier lake near the Nepal-China border posing a significant risk.
Devastating flash floods in Nepal's Bhote Koshi River, triggered by a glacier or ice rock collapse, have resulted in 175 recovered bodies and hundreds missing, including tourists. India has promptly responded by providing 10 tons of humanitarian aid and medical supplies, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying condolences and assuring full support to Nepal.
Devastating Bhote Koshi floods in Nepal have led to a surge in recovered bodies, overwhelming morgues across several districts. Authorities are setting up temporary facilities and preparing for the management of unidentified remains as identification efforts continue.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered extensive rescue operations following devastating flash floods and mudslides near the China-Nepal border in Tibet. The disaster has caused heavy casualties, left nearly 400 people missing, including 105 Indians and 37 NRIs, and damaged infrastructure. Emergency teams have been deployed, and efforts are underway to evacuate residents and provide medical aid.
Following devastating flash floods in Nepal, experts are calling for systematic scientific assessments of glaciers to understand and mitigate hazards, alongside the development of a robust land use policy for the Himalayan region. The floods, which killed over 460 people and left thousands missing, are believed to be linked to climate change impacts on glaciers and permafrost.
At least 12 people from Bihar's East Champaran district, including five members of one family, are missing following devastating flash floods in Nepal. The disaster, which struck four days ago, has left hundreds of Indians and persons of Indian origin unaccounted for, with a significant death toll reported in Nepal.
A senior cryosphere specialist has warned of a potential secondary flash flood in Nepal due to debris from an ice-rock avalanche accumulating at a river confluence, creating a temporary dam that is collecting water.
Sikkim has identified 40 high-hazard glacial lakes, with 16 at the highest risk of catastrophic outbursts. Following a devastating GLOF in 2023, the state is developing India's first dedicated GLOF Risk Mitigation Protocol, using advanced monitoring and interdisciplinary approaches to protect downstream settlements and serve as a model for other Himalayan regions.
Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) suggest that an ice-rock avalanche originating in a high-altitude area likely triggered the devastating flash floods that swept across central Nepal districts, killing at least 95 people and leaving nearly 500 missing.
The weather office has warned that the prevailing monsoon conditions could trigger flash floods, landslides, waterlogging and a further rise in river levels across the Northeast.
Sri Lanka is facing a severe crisis after Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread flooding and landslides, resulting in numerous deaths and displacement. India has launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu' to provide relief. The situation is expected to remain critical with rising river levels and continued rainfall.
Hundreds of people are facing a shortage of food, safe drinking water and sanitation in Kathmandu following the natural disaster, according to eyewitnesses.
Five people were killed and about 50 missing following several incidents of cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh where rains washed away many houses, bridges and roads, officials said on Thursday.
The NRSC satellite imagery revealed that the lake covered approximately 162.7 hectares. Its area increased to 167.4 hectares on September 28 but drastically reduced to 60.3 hectares.
Temperatures in 17 locations breached 45 degrees Celsius on Monday, with the punishing heat affecting health and livelihoods.
At least five Chinese nationals were among the six persons killed on Tuesday when an explosive-packed vehicle rammed into their bus in Pakistan's troubled northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, officials said.
They said rampant infrastructure development without a plan is making the fragile Himalayan ecosystem even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change which acts as a force-multiplier.
The disputed region witnessed clashes on Saturday between the police and activists of a rights movement, leaving at least one police official dead and injuring over 100 people, mostly policemen.
Temperatures in 17 locations breached 48 degrees Celsius on Monday, with the relentless heat affecting health and livelihoods across large parts of northwestern and central India.
Each disaster has the same message: Learn to respect the mountains before you build tunnels, roads, and houses, notes Sunita Narain.
A GLOF occurred in parts of Lhonak Lake, leading to a rapid rise in water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta River Basin in the early hours of October 4. This resulted in severe damage in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said efforts are on to rescue the 300 stranded people, and they could be airlifted as the weather clears. Power and water supply has been snapped in several areas.
China plans to divert about 200 billion cubic metres of water annually from the Brahmaputra at its highest point, namely the Great Bend, where it turns into India. China's Brahmaputra dam will severely impact India, warns former senior RA&W officer and China expert Jayadeva Ranade.
A study by an international team of researchers had warned two year ago that the South Lhonak lake in Sikkim may burst in the future and significantly impact the downstream region.
The tourism industry plays a vital role in the town, accounting for 70 per cent of its economy, according to experts.
The Himalayas have seen unchecked construction activity, illegal mining, unscientific road building and hydropower projects built next to each other. Are we going to learn from this? Asks Sunita Narain
From the numerous small and big shops in the main markets to the residential properties, vehicles, and billboards, posters with the slogan 'NTPC go back' have come up around the town in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district over the past few days.
Three more bodies were recovered from the National Thermal Power Corporation's flood-ravaged Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project site on Saturday taking the toll in the February 7 glacial disaster in Uttarakhand to 65, officials said.
The mudslide occurred on Sunday in Taining County, where about one lakh cubic meters of mud and rocks flowed downhill, burying a temporary shed at the hydropower station construction site and damaging its offices.
In recent years, the twin demands of both religion and defence have been added to the development argument to sweep aside environmental and terrain considerations while undertaking infrastructure development in the Himalayan zone, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
A 13.2 MW small hydro project on the Rishiganga river was swept away in the glacier burst in Uttarakhand on Sunday, but there is no danger of floods in the downstream areas as the water level has been contained.
A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead.
'Unlike in the Kedarnath floods of 2013, which happened due to heavy rains, no such thing happened in Chamoli.' 'The damage was done only because of the hot sun.'
